Dengeki Daisy: Hurt Me Tomorrow
by puttygirl3
Summary: A stranger shows up at the Ohanabatake, claiming to be Master Masuda's daughter. Please send me a review! I'd like to know what people think. Thanks:)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

The sun shone brightly, making the heat almost unbearable but she wiped the sweat from her brow and stared at the small building that stood before her. Cheyenne could feel her heart pounding in her chest and it was making it hard to breath. She had spent so long searching and now here she was, possibly getting the chance to meet her father. Her mother hadn't told her much about him. Instead she had purchased a one-way ticket for her daughter to Japan, which led her to this moment. Taking in a deep breath, she pushed the door open to the restaurant and entered.

It was a small restaurant with a few tables and chairs against the wall, out-looking the street. There was a long counter with bar stools seated in front of it. It seemed simple enough. There was nothing too special about this restaurant. Even so, there were still a few customers in the little restaurant and they all seemed to be in a heated discussion with the large man behind the counter.

As if on cue, they all seemed to stop their conversation as she entered into the restaurant and all eyes fell upon her. Gripping the handle of her guitar case, she found herself a seat at the bar; setting the case and her duffel bag down on the ground. "Just play it cool," her mind kept telling her, as she ignored the stares thrown at her. It was obvious that she had just walked in so rudely to their important discussion but she was here now. It would look a little strange if she had turned back around and walked out. More than that, she hadn't travelled halfway across the world to give up now. One of these people may have information on her father. Perhaps they could help her.

"Could I get you something to drink?" a gruff voice interrupted the silence in the room.

"Coffee," she answered, opening the menu that was set in front of her, "Black, please."

She kept her eyes lowered and face hidden from the man. A part of her felt stupid for coming here. What were the odds that any of these people would know who her father was? There was probably no chance. Japan wasn't a big country but the city she was in was big enough that it made it practically impossible to find one man. To make it even more difficult, this man only had a first name. Well at least one that she knew of. She had no idea what his last name was. Her mother had just told her to go to this address and that was it. Though, another part of her felt embarrassed for interrupting these people in the middle of their important discussion.

A mug was set in front of her and Cheyenne was quick to close her menu. She wasn't really all that hungry but she had picked something random off the menu, just so she could get the order out of the way.

"Are you ready to order?" the man asked, pulling out a pen and pad from his apron.

Cheyenne pushed the menu towards him and finally gained enough courage to look up at him. She had gathered enough courage to flash him the best smile she could muster. She had to stick with the plan, no matter how difficult it seemed but just as she opened her mouth to speak she was surprised by the shocked expression that was pasted across the man's face.

"Natasha?" he whispered, setting the pad and pen down on the counter.

Confused by this strange man's outburst, she exchanged looks with the other two sitting at the bar; a few seats over. But they both had the same confused expression plastered across their face.

"Um...no, my name's Cheyenne," she answered, unsure if he was actually asking her that question or he was asking himself, "Natasha is my mother's name."

The man was taken-back by her answer and he stepped away from her for a moment. His face was riddled with just as much confusion as her own. How did this man know her mother's name?

"She actually sent me here," Cheyenne continued, standing up from her chair and reaching in her pocket for a picture. Leaning over the counter, she pointed at the handsome young man in the picture next to her mother, "This man here is my father. His name is Masuda and I'm trying to find him. Do you know who he is?"

The man backed up against the wall and slid down it until he was sitting on the floor. Confused by his reaction, Cheyenne turned back to the other two sitting at the bar. One was a man who could possibly be in his late thirties to early forties with shaggy long hair and a dark moustache and goatee. Cheyenne wondered if he could have possibly been her father. He fit the description. Next to him sat a beautiful woman who looked young but had the aura that she was possibly in her late twenties to early thirties.

"Are you Masuda?" Cheyenne asked pointing at the man with the shaggy hair.

"Me?" the man asked as a grin spread across his face, "Considering how beautiful you are, I can only imagine how beautiful your mother is and as much as I would love to take responsibility for this, unfortunately I am not. The man you're looking for is the one on the floor, muttering to himself like a crazy man."

Glancing at the man on the floor, Cheyenne felt a bit confused. He looked nothing like the man in the photo. The man in the photo had black hair and the man on the floor had no hair what so ever. The man in the photo wasn't necessarily lean but he wasn't built like a tank like the man on the floor. The man in the photo didn't wear glasses either! Unsure of how she felt at the moment, Cheyenne plopped herself into the chair she had seated herself in before. So far, everything had gone completely opposite from how she wanted them to. She had expected that he would have been happy to see her. Instead he acted as if he hadn't even known about her existence. Wait...had her mother told him about his daughter?

Suddenly the sound of the door being opened broke the uncomfortable silence and two more people piled into the restaurant, arguing amongst each other. One was a young man in his twenties and Cheyenne could feel her cheeks redden a little. He was definitely a good looking man and he had that aura about him that told her that in a way he was a bad boy. The other was a pretty girl about the same age as her with medium length brown hair. Their arguing came to a halt as soon as they had entered the uncomfortable silence in the room.

"Did we miss something?" the man asked, glancing from the other two sitting at the bar to Cheyenne.

"No, not at all," the man with the moustache answered, grinning a bit, "Oh, you two haven't met Cheyenne yet. Cheyenne this is Kurosaki and Teru. Cheyenne is Master's long lost daughter from..."

"Dixon, Wyoming," Cheyenne answered finishing the man's sentence, "Nice to meet you."

"Master has a daughter?" Kurosaki asked, eyeing Cheyenne up and down as if she was suspicious of being a liar, "How do we know that you are who you say you really are?"

Confused by the harshness in his words, Cheyenne couldn't help but shoot him a dirty look, "You want proof? My name's Cheyenne Cordero. I'm from Dixon, Wyoming. My mother is the daughter of a long line of my people's chief's. I don't know who my father is, so for me to travel half-way across the world to search for a missing piece of my life; only to be questioned about my intentions is completely out of line."

"Listen, you can tell us that you are this person you say you are but unless we have actual proof..." Kurosaki continued, breathing out a sigh of exhaustion but was interrupted abruptly by a gruff voice.

"It's all right," the voice replied and Cheyenne turned to look at the man speaking, "She's telling the truth."

The man barely made eye contact with Cheyenne as he walked out from behind the counter and made his way to the restaurant door. She could feel something in her chest tighten and apart of her wished she had just stayed back in Wyoming. Something had told her that he wouldn't want anything to do with her. Now that she was here and he couldn't even be bothered to look her in the eye, proved that she had been right all along. If he had wanted anything to do with her, he would have looked for her a long time ago.

Just as she gathered the courage to stand up and gather her things to walk out, she was surprised to hear the sound of the door locking. Looking in her father's general direction, she watched in confusion as he turned the open sign over to closed and shut the blinds.

"Andy, can you make everyone a coffee and fill Kurosaki and Teru on our previous discussion?" he asked as he motioned for Cheyenne to follow him, "I have important matters to discuss."

Without another word, Cheyenne set her belongings back down and followed the man to a table in the corner, far from ear's reach. She watched as he took a seat before sitting herself down, across from him. There was a bit of tenseness that lingered through the air and even though she had been happy that he was willing to listen to her, she was unsure as to what he was thinking. His eyes wouldn't meet with her own eyes and it made her nervous. Instead he stared down at his fingers, as he fidgeted; a bit uncomfortable. Cheyenne couldn't help but hear the other's whispering amongst each other, and once and a while she could feel their eyes glued to them. This whole situation wasn't what she had expected it to be. She figured there would be a few more tears of joy shed and perhaps maybe a few more hugs but she had got the opposite. Instead she had been treated as if she had been a skunk who had walked in on a picnic.

"How is she doing?" his voice finally broke the silence between the two.

"Pardon?" Cheyenne could feel her palms getting sweaty, so she wiped them against her black hoody.

"Your mother, how is she doing?" he asked again, a little more clearly.

He looked up to meet her eyes and this was the only time she had wished he wouldn't. Quickly she pulled her gaze from his, not wanting him to see the tears that were coming. She was stupid for thinking that he wouldn't ask her. Of course he would! He loved her. Well at least, that was what she hoped.

"She isn't," Cheyenne answered quietly, trying to hide the emotion in her voice, "She passed away in her sleep three weeks ago. She had been battling with cancer on and off for the past five years."

Once again there was an uncomfortable silence between them. Cheyenne found herself glancing at him through her lashes as if to try and read the expression on his face but there was nothing. It was like he was trying to grasp a hold of his reality that was falling into his lap. One moment his life was everything as it should be and next it was thrown into chaos. Twenty minutes ago he didn't have a daughter. Well at least he had no knowledge of one and now he was sitting in front of her trying to grasp it all with his mind.

"I see," he responded finally, "And she sent you here to find me?"

Nodding, Cheyenne traced her finger along the edge of the table. She was unable to look him in the eye, completely afraid of what he had to say next. With the lack of emotion he showed after she had told him her mother had passed away, she was sure that he wasn't willing to let her stay. Suddenly his hand reached gently across the table and Cheyenne was shocked as he placed his hand against her cheek.

"You look just like her," he exclaimed quietly as tears began to form.

Before he could pull his hand away, Cheyenne reached up with her own hand and grasped his in hers, "You have no idea how badly I've wished for this moment. Please, please, please don't deny me the only living parent I have left."

She could tell he was surprised by her outburst but she didn't stop. Letting go of his hand, she jumped to her feet a sudden urge to prove that she could be useful here. She couldn't go back home. There was nothing for her back there.

"My mom taught me to cook and clean so I can help you here in the restaurant," she exclaimed, tears forming in her eyes to the point that everything was now blurry, "If you send me back there, I will have nowhere to go to. Please, let me stay."

By this time the conversation had become loud enough so that everyone in the restaurant could hear and all eyes were on her. Cheyenne didn't care. They could stare all they wanted but it didn't change the fact that if her father refused to let her stay, it would be the biggest mistake he could ever make. The tears were now making a trail down her cheek to the floor and she could feel her knees growing weak and her body shaking from the built up emotions.

"I know nothing about raising a daughter," he replied, almost choking on his words.

"You don't have to raise me," she exclaimed, wiping the tears away, "I've got a few more years and I'll be off to University."

"Not to interrupt in on your conversation here," a girl's voice interrupted the conversation and Cheyenne was surprised to find Teru standing next to her, "If it's too much trouble for her to stay with you, she can stay with us."

The woman stood up and walked over to stand next to Teru and Cheyenne, "Master, if you don't want to take responsibility of her I don't mind taking her in. It'll be like having another sister I never had!"

Everyone was shocked when the man they called Master, slammed his fists down on the table and Cheyenne found herself jumping a little at the sound. She watched as he pushed his chair back and he stood to his feet and walked past Teru and her only to be standing next to the woman. His face was wrinkled into an expression of anger and frustration.

"You know very well why I shouldn't be permitting this Riko-san," he muttered and before anyone could say anything else, he had left the restaurant.

The door slammed shut behind him, leaving the room in utter silence. Cheyenne felt a feeling she never thought she would ever feel ever again. Her heart was pained at the thought that her own father wanted nothing to do with her. What had she done wrong to make him feel this way towards her? Her chest felt heavy and almost difficult to breath but before she found herself crying, someone had gently slipped their hand into her own. Looking to her side, she was shocked to find that Teru was holding her hand.

"It's all right," she whispered, followed with a smile, "You can stay with us."

Fighting back the tears, Cheyenne mustered up the best smile she could possibly find but at this moment her heart felt like it was crumbling to pieces in her chest.

"Hey Kurosaki, I need you to drive us home," Riko-san demanded, "I don't think it would be wise for us to be here when Master gets back."

"What do I look like, a taxi?" he asked, ignoring the death glare from the woman.

Riko-san stomped her way towards him and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt with surprisingly amount of strength, "Today you will be a taxi service, whether you like it or not! Now pick up the slack!"

As she let go of his collar, she shoved him a little as if to show him that she meant business. Kurosaki grumbled to himself as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the keys to his vehicle. Teru motioned for Cheyenne to follow and Cheyenne was quick to gather her belongings and follow the three of them out of the restaurant. Her heart crumbled with every step she took.

He hadn't noticed that the sun was setting until it was almost hidden behind the city's skyline. For everything that had happened for the past year or more, it had been difficult enough as it was. But to find out that he had a daughter he hadn't even heard about, took it to another level! It wasn't like he hadn't wanted children before and it had crossed his mind once or twice in his life, but with his line of work it was too dangerous to have even a pet. It didn't help that he had to keep an eye on a young man who could have been a potential hazard to this country, but to have to keep an eye on his daughter whom he knew nothing about, made this whole situation more difficult. What was he to do in this situation? He can't bloody well have her involved with everything that was already happening. There had already been some close calls with Teru's life and he couldn't possibly imagine it being his own daughter in that same situation. But where would she go? Wasn't there a relative on her mother's side that could possibly take her in?

Opening the door to the restaurant, he wasn't surprised to see Andy and Kurosaki sitting at the bar. He wasn't sure where everyone else had gone and as terrible as he felt at the moment, he couldn't handle seeing her there. Damn, she had been a splitting image of her mother.

"It's about time you got back," Kurosaki replied, taking a puff from his cigarette, "I thought we would have to start a search party."

"Cheyenne?" Masuda asked making his way behind the counter. He needed a drink and badly!

"With Teru and Riko," answered Kurosaki, "I dropped them off at the apartment about three hours ago."

Masuda brought out a large bottle of old fashioned whisky and grabbing a clean glass, he poured an immense amount before shooting it back. It had been a long time since he had felt the strange burn as the whisky made its way down his throat. Had it been coincident that this use to be her favourite drink? Pouring another large amount into his glass, he shot it back again. This time the burning sensation chased away the pain in his chest. For a moment he felt numb.

"Do you think she'll go back to her home?" asked Andy, taking a sip from his coffee.

"Nope," Masuda answered, taking a breather from the whisky, "If she's anything like her mother, she'll do the exact opposite from what I tell her to do."

"Well then what was that whole scene about anyways?" Andy asked a little irritated with the whole situation, "If you know she isn't going to listen to you, then why treat her the way you had?"

"When you have a sixteen year old girl come to you claiming that she's your daughter, then maybe you'll understand why I do the things I do," Masuda snapped back, pouring himself another shot of whisky, "With my line of work, I can't accept the role of a doting father."

"We accepted Teru into our group and she's the exact same age as Cheyenne," Andy pointed out, obviously ignoring the harshness in Masuda's words.

Before Masuda could answer him, Kurosaki piped in, "Teru was already involved to begin with."

"What kind of life will she have if you send her back?" Andy continued to argue.

"What kind of life will she have if she ends up getting mixed up with all the shit that's going down?" Masuda roared as he slammed the glass down onto the counter, breaking it, "Are you going to protect her when some asshole decides to go through her to get to any one of us?"

Andy didn't answer this time. There had been so many times already that people have targeted Teru and her friends, in some cases almost killing them. Whoever they were dealing with had no remorse and it was obvious that they didn't care who they targeted.

"That's what I thought," Masuda snapped, pulling the shards of glass out of his hand, "Now if you don't mind, I'd like to spend the rest of the night by myself."

There was a moment of silence between the three of them and Masuda wasn't sure if they were going to listen or not. He could tell that Andy was willing to protest against what Masuda wanted. Andy probably thought he was the most heartless man on the earth for his decision but that wasn't the case. His heart was falling to pieces this very moment and he didn't need anyone there to witness it. Masuda knew they all meant well but in this case, sometimes it was better to be the bad guy. Andy watched in surprise as Kurosaki got to his feet, putting his cigarette out in the ashtray. It was hard to tell what was going through Kurosaki's mind but at least somebody was on his side.

"Come on," he replied, "We've got some work to do anyways."

Andy hesitated for a moment but listened and gathered his jacket before exiting the restaurant with Kurosaki. Silence filled the empty restaurant, and it was almost lonely. He couldn't remember the last time it had been this quiet. It seemed like there had always been someone there but tonight was not one of those nights. Sighing, Masuda made his way to the door and locked it. The silence was eerie but in its own way, it felt comforting. Turning off the lights, he made his way back to behind the counter and grabbed another glass. He poured himself another drink, before sitting himself down on the cold floor. This brought back memories from long ago but instead of the strange silence there was the sound of music and laughter. It was there that he had met her.

The room reminded Cheyenne of her own back at home, except all that was missing was the posters of horses that plastered her walls. This room didn't have posters but in a way it still felt comforting. The door burst open and Cheyenne was quick to manage a smile. It was nice enough for Teru and Riko to let her stay here, the least she could do was look happy even though she found herself almost dying inside. It was hard enough to have lost her mother and her best friend in her entire life but to have a father who wanted nothing to do with her for no apparent reason, made it even more difficult.

Teru bustled into the room carrying a dozen blankets, "So unfortunately we don't have a mattress for you to sleep on tonight but I gathered up a bunch of blankets. If you want the bed, I can sleep on the floor and hopefully tomorrow Sensei Onizuka can purchase a mattress for you to sleep on."

"Thanks," Cheyenne smiled, "But I don't mind taking the floor. At this moment I'm lucky enough to have a place to sleep."

Cheyenne watched as Teru set the blankets down on the edge of the bed, "Hey, I'm sorry about all of that. I guess that's not how you expected things to turn out."

"Not really," answered Cheyenne quietly.

"Well if it's any consolation, you can stay for however long you need," Teru piped up, obviously trying her best to shake away the sadness in the air with a smile.

Once again, Cheyenne faked a smile. She didn't want to make Teru feel like her efforts weren't appreciated because they were but at this moment there was nothing anyone could do to make her feel better. She felt like a complete idiot for believing that she could travel all the way to Japan, meet her long lost father she never knew and hope that everything would be all right. Instead it was the polar opposite. Everything wasn't all right. The only home she ever knew was on the other side of this body of ocean and she had no way of getting back. She only had a couple of hundred dollars left to help her get by until she could find a job and could stand on her own two feet.

"Do you mind if I take a bath?" she asked, retrieving her duffle bag and searching through the contents for her bag of toiletries.

"Bathroom is just down the hall, third door on the left," answered Teru, as she began to unfold the blankets and making the best bed she could possibly muster up with the few blankets they had.

Nodding, Cheyenne quickly left the room and followed her directions. Closing the door behind her, she breathed a ragged sigh of relief. She had done so well with holding in the tears for the past three hours but it was beginning to get harder and harder. She needed some time to herself to wrap her head around everything that had just happened. Maybe by tomorrow this heavy feeling in her heart will have disappeared and she could move onto her next plan. As nice as Teru and Riko were, she couldn't impose on them for much longer. It wasn't their duty to take care of her.

Locking the door behind her, she rushed to the tub and quickly turned the hot water on. Sitting down beside the tub, she found herself letting go of all the pain that she had bottled up inside her. The sound of the pouring water drowned out the sound of her sobs.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Folding the paper closed, Kurosaki tossed it aside as he took another sip from his coffee. It had been a few days since he had checked in with Master but after everything that had happened the other day he figured it best that everybody gave him some space. In the years that he had known Master, this had been the first time he had ever seen him act this way. Kurosaki wasn't sure how to treat this situation, whether it was best to let it slide or discuss it.

"I have a feeling you're not here to discuss Teru are you?" a gruff voice piped in and Kurosaki couldn't help but glance in Master's direction.

He could tell that the man had been drinking almost every night since that day. Everything about him seemed different. His demeanor was that of a man who had nothing better to do but drink himself stupid, because he was feeling sorry for himself. This wasn't the man that Kurosaki looked up to for advice.

"Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not," he answered casually, "Aren't you the least bit curious as to who she is?"

Master didn't answer the question. Instead he turned his back to Kurosaki, setting the glass down on the counter and gripping the towel in his hands as if it was the source to his lifeline. Kurosaki listened to the man's breathing as it seemed to deepen. He could tell it was a difficult subject to talk about but what was the man to do? He couldn't hold it in forever because it would only destroy him. But it was obvious that he didn't want to discuss it with Kurosaki.

Sighing, Kurosaki gulped down what was left in his coffee mug and tossed some money onto the counter to pay for it. If Master wasn't willing to talk about it now, there was no point in him being there. He hated to do it but there wasn't much he could do until Master decided to talk about all his piled up emotions. The only thing he could do was leave the man to wallow in his sorrows, until he chose to talk to someone. Getting out of his seat, he turned to walk out but stopped.

"I just want to let you know that neither one of us think of you badly for your decision on the matter," he replied, glancing at Master over his shoulder, "But you failed to explain yourself to the one person that matters the most."

Without another word, Kurosaki left the restaurant. The drive home had seemed longer than normal and it probably didn't help that he kept taking detours. It had been a long couple of days and going home only to have Riko-san and Teru question him about how it all went, was the last thing he wanted. Between trying to get a lead on the whole Jack Frost dilemma and playing messenger boy, he was really beginning to feel the lack of sleep creeping up on him. If it had been anyone else, he probably would have stayed out of the whole situation but Master had always been there for him. This was the first time in the amount of time that he had known Master that he had seen the man this way and the least he could do was help a little.

Walking down the hall towards the apartment, he was a little surprised to find Cheyenne sitting outside Riko and Teru's apartment door; strumming lightly on her guitar. She hadn't shown any sign that she had noticed him standing there and Kurosaki fought the urge to let her be. It wasn't like he didn't like her. In fact she seemed like a pretty down to earth girl from how Teru had explained her to be but once again it wasn't part of his nature to get involved with other people's problems. He had enough problems as it was that he didn't need to add anymore. But instead of listening to the reasonable part of him, he found himself sitting down on the floor next to her.

"I heard Teru and Riko say that you went to talk to my father," she nonchalantly replied as she continued to lightly strum the guitar she had cradled in her lap, "I'm guessing he still doesn't want anything to do with me, huh?"

Kurosaki filtered through everything that he could possibly answer to her comment but nothing seemed right. To him it all sounded like another excuse and he knew that it would sound like an excuse to her too. Sighing, he found himself rolling the back of his head against the wall so he could look up at the ceiling. It was no use. He officially sucked at these kinds of things. Give him a computer and a code and he could master that like it was nothing but father daughter issues were not his forte.

"Listen, I'm not going to try and sugar-coat everything because there really isn't any point," he started, "But I know Master better than anyone and he isn't the type to do things for no reason. There are things you can't possibly imagine that we are all involved in right now and it can be extremely dangerous. I don't think he's doing this simply because he wants nothing to do with you but because he doesn't think this is the right environment for you to be in."

Cheyenne had stopped strumming her guitar. Kurosaki glanced at her, only to find that she was rising to her feet. Apart of him was regretting everything he had said to her. What did he know anyways? This was all just a hunch anyways and he had no proof to back it up.

Holding the guitar towards him, she motioned him to take it, "I've got some things to take care of. I'll be back in a couple of hours so when Teru and Riko come looking for me, I trust you will let them know that."

Without answering her, he took the neck of the guitar in his hand and watched as she walked away. He knew exactly what it was that she had to take care of and normally he would have argued against it but he was exhausted and maybe the only person who could snap Master out of this funk he was in was her.

The night air was still humid and Cheyenne felt the sweat cling to her body as she walked down the street. She prayed that her father hadn't closed down the restaurant quite yet. It was important that she talked to him. Whether he would hear her out was all up to him but she wasn't going to give up until he listened. She didn't travel this far just to give up so easily. Riko had told her to give it some time and he would eventually come around but waiting just wasn't in her nature. It hurt enough as it was to continue to believe that he cared very little about what happened to her. Waiting was just making that pain worse. There was even a little bit of her that was frustrated with him. If Kurosaki was right about her father having an actual reason for being so cold towards her, she wanted to hear those words from him.

She was so deep in thought that she hadn't noticed the group of men that had bumped into her. A little embarrassed by the fact that she hadn't been watching where she was going, she had muttered a polite sorry before carrying on but was stopped suddenly. One of the men had grabbed her by the arm before she could walk away, preventing her from leaving. Surprised, Cheyenne looked up at him; a little taken back by the fact that he had the nerve to grab her arm so harshly. There were four of them. The one that had grabbed her by the hand was a tall man with a shaved head and tattooes that crawled their way up his arms. She was now wishing she had just waited until the morning.

"Look at what we've got here!" exclaimed the one that had grabbed her arm, "She's a pretty one isn't she?"

A man with a red Mohawk piped in, "She looks fun!"

The man, who had grabbed her arm, pulled her closer to him. Cheyenne could smell the strong scent of alcohol and it was to the point she felt herself getting intoxicated off the fumes. Looking around she realized that she was the only one on the street and that no matter how loudly she screamed, nobody would come to save her. Even if someone had heard her, by the time they had come to save her these men would have dragged her down the dark alley beside them. Of course it was her luck that she would find herself in danger on a street with nobody around!

"What do you think guys?" the man asked, running his hand down her side, "Do you think she's fun?"

Before his hand could go any further, Cheyenne found herself knocking his hand away from her. She was disgusted with the way these guys acted. Was this how they normally acted towards women? But then again she probably shouldn't have been out this late at night on her own. Her action obviously riled them up even more because they all broke into playful hollers. It reminded her of a pack of coyotes before they killed their prey.

"Well, well...looks like we got ourselves a fighter!" exclaimed the man and he pulled her even closer, despite her efforts to pull away.

He tried to bring his lips closer to her but she fought hard against him. The last thing she needed at this moment was his disgustingly drunken lips all over hers. In fact this entire moment wasn't needed at all and if she could make it out of this without harm, she promised to never walk around by herself late at night ever again. Just as she had resorted to praying to any god that would hear her, a voice from the dark alley disrupted the drunken cheers and laughter. For the moment, the man had stopped his attempts to kiss Cheyenne and was now frustrated by the interruption.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a male's voice warned.

The man who held her loosened his grip on Cheyenne's arm. She was quick to pull away from him but before she could officially escape to safety one of the others was quick to wrap an arm around her waist, holding her in place. She could sense the tenseness in the air and Cheyenne knew that in mere seconds a fight would break out.

"Oh?" asked the man, "Who's going to stop us?"

A dark figure stepped out from the darkness of the alley. As the street lights fell upon the man's features, the other men fell silent. The tense atmosphere that once filled the air was now replaced with an unexplainable fear. Cheyenne stopped struggling long enough to get a good look at the one who had come to her rescue. He was a young man, possibly in his early twenties with black hair that hid his eyes. Compared to the men who had attacked Cheyenne, this man's stature seemed a little smaller. His stature was easily compared to Kurosaki's. Kurosaki wasn't small but he wasn't necessarily big either, but Cheyenne was pretty sure he could hold his own in a fight if it came down to it. She was hoping the same went for this man.

"Hey boss, check out his neck," one of the men pointed to a tattoo of a phoenix on the man's neck, "He's got the mark of the phoenix!"

Two of the others whispered amongst each other but Cheyenne couldn't hear what they were saying. Whoever this man was, he was definitely leaving an impression on these men. She wondered what was so significant about a stupid tattoo but she couldn't complain. From the looks of it, these men weren't going to put up much of a fight against him. Even the man, who had wrapped his arm around her, had dropped his grasp. Before she knew it, the gang of men were now backing up slowly and leaving without another word spoken. Cheyenne wasn't sure why this single man was so threatening but she was glad he was there. She didn't know what she would have done if he hadn't been there. But as she turned to thank him, she noticed that he had no intention of staying. He had turned his back to her and was now slowly disappearing into the darkness. Without even realizing it, she quickly raced after him; gently grabbing his arm to stop him.

"Please don't go!" she exclaimed and as his cold eyes fell upon her she found herself quickly letting go of his arm, "What I meant to say was, thank you."

Now that she was standing only inches from him, she couldn't help but notice how good looking he really was. His dark hair hung in his face and she fought off the urge to brush it back with her fingers, just so she could get a better look at him.

"You know you really shouldn't be walking around by yourself at this time," he informed quietly.

Cheyenne felt her cheeks burning and she was quick to lower her eyes. He must have thought she was dumb.

"Where are you headed?" he asked, stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets.

"The Ohanabatake," she answered, looping her fingers in the belt hoops of her jeans, "It's just up the street."

She watched in shock as he slid passed her and started down the street towards her father's restaurant. He stopped for a moment to glance over his shoulder towards her, his lips curled up in a slight smile.

"Are you coming?" he called after her as he started back down the street.

Hesitating for a moment, Cheyenne pushed back any negative thoughts about this man. True, she didn't know anything about him and for all she knew he was a serial killer but a part of her very well doubted that. What kind of serial killer would save their victim, to only kill them anyways? That just sounded completely far-fetched to her, but not completely impossible. Keeping that in the back of her mind, she jogged to catch up to him. To be on the safe side, she kept a close eye on every slight movement he made specifically any in her direction. She wasn't quite use to being on her guard all the time, now that she lived in a big city. She was so use to the familiar faces and places of her small home town back in Wyoming.

"Do you normally hang out in dark alleys?" Cheyenne asked, in a desperate attempt to break the uncomfortable silence around them.

"Do you normally trust strangers?" he asked flashing a charming grin her way and Cheyenne could feel the redness rush to her cheeks again.

"Only if they promise not to hack off my head with a dull blade," She answered feeling her lips curl into a slight smile. Good thinking, she thought to herself. Throw in a funny remark and maybe that slight tension in the air would dissipate. If not, then he was probably thinking of dragging her off to a dark corner and hacking her head off with a saw.

"What?" he asked, obviously he wasn't fazed by her lousy attempt at a joke.

"Forget about it. It was supposed to be funny," she answered suddenly feeling a slight breeze blow by. She hadn't remembered it being so cold but now that she noticed, she found her teeth slightly chattering from the slight chill in the air.

In a desperate attempt to keep herself warm, Cheyenne rubbed her hands against her bare arms. Why hadn't she been smart enough to grab a jacket when she had the chance? Sure, it had been extremely important that she had come to talk to her father but it wasn't so important that she should freeze to death in the process. It was bad enough that she was caught walking the streets late at night by herself, by this random stranger but to throw in not having the brains enough to grab a jacket, made it worse. She could only imagine what he was thinking at this moment. He was probably wondering what kind of dumb chick walked around late at night by herself and didn't seem to have the sense to bring a jacket.

Just as she thought she was about to have a nervous break-down, Cheyenne felt something warm being wrapped around her shoulders. Stopping suddenly, she looked down to see what had been placed around her. To her amazement, the man had taken his jacket off and placed it around her. She could swear her cheeks had turned a new shade of red and she couldn't help but notice her heart racing in her chest. It was a black leather jacket and it felt a bit heavy. There was a slight smell of cigarettes and soap and the warmth from his body had been captured inside it. She was quick to slip her arms into the sleeves. She had ruled him being a serial killer out. He was too nice for that.

"You're not from here, are you?" he asked, barely glancing in her direction as they walked side by side down the street.

Lowering her eyes, she gripped the jacket closed, "Is it really that obvious?"

"Just a little bit," he answered casually, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans, "What are you doing out this late, anyways?"

Cheyenne kicked at a pebble, "I was going to see my father." No matter how many times she said it, it still felt weird to say the word 'father.'

"And you forgot to bring a jacket?" the man asked and Cheyenne noticed a slight grin on his face. She could almost hear him laughing at her in the back of her head and she couldn't help but cringe.

"Yeah, I was in a bit of a rush," she answered, trying to look as calm as can be even though deep inside she was literally falling apart, "Listen, you don't have to walk me all the way there. I mean the restaurant's right there and I'm sure you have better things to do."

The man's grin widened even more, "With your luck, you'd get mugged on the doorstep of the restaurant."

Stopping abruptly, Cheyenne felt the butterflies in her stomach fade to rage. Sure, she didn't look like the brightest at the moment but he didn't know her situation. That mocking laughter she imagined in the back of her mind became louder and she found herself stomping her way past him.

"Thanks, but I've got it covered from here," she spat from over her shoulder, barely taking a second glance at him.

There was no reply back and as Cheyenne approached the restaurant she couldn't help but glance over her shoulder towards him. The man had already started back down the street from where she had met him and she couldn't help but scowl in his general direction. The men in Japan were polar opposites from the men back home. At least the men back home had more manners. Grumbling to herself, she yanked the door to the restaurant open and entered it quickly. At least he was right about one thing. With the way things were going, it wouldn't necessarily surprise her if she ended up being mugged outside her father's restaurant.

The sound of the door opening, echoed through the silence in the empty restaurant. Masuda kicked himself for not locking the door behind the last costumer. Lately his mind had been preoccupied with everything that was going on. But to forget to lock the door after the closed sign was up was pushing it a little. Sighing, he walked out of the kitchen. His head was feeling heavier than it usually did and he wasn't sure if it was the alcohol that was causing the pain or all the other things fluttering around his mind. It wasn't like him to let these things bother him but it was getting the best of him. But as he stepped out of the kitchen he was surprised a little to find a familiar face, standing in the doorway.

"Cheyenne!" he exclaimed surprised to see the girl standing in the doorway, "What are you doing here?"

"I don't care!" the young girl blurted, as she clenched her hands into small balls of fists.

Confused by the outburst, Masuda began to walk towards her but she was quick to stop him. It was apparent something had been bothering her and the expression on her face, seemed focused on only one thing. He knew that she had come here to talk to him but he knew it was a failed mission. There was no way he was going to allow her to stay. If she did, it could possibly mean her life and he wasn't willing to risk it.

"Listen, I'm so sorry," he continued, swallowing down the emotion in his voice, "I can't let you stay..."

The girl was quick to interrupt him, "Do you know what it's like to lose a parent? But not only that, have the only family member you have left on this planet turn you down? Or have you ever felt like your entire world has just fallen apart before you? For the past couple of days, I have and let me tell you one thing it is the worst feeling anyone could ever feel."

"I'm really sorry...," Masuda began but she was quick to interrupt him again.

"No, I'm not finished yet," she snapped, not taking her eyes from his and not allowing him to pull his eyes from her own, "All this time I thought it was something I had done but I hear from Kurosaki that you have your reasons for it and it got me to thinking. If I'm going to be turned away by my own father, the least he could do is to tell me the real reason as to why he doesn't want me in his life. Instead of hiding behind that bottle you've been hiding behind for the past couple of days, maybe you should try manning up a little and face me when you tell me the real reason as to why you don't want me here! So you better start talking now!"

Masuda found himself at a complete blank. He felt anger towards Kurosaki for saying something. He felt anger towards Cheyenne's mother for sending their daughter on a wild goose chase. He felt anger towards how everything had turned out, but most of all he felt anger towards himself. Why hadn't things been different? What had brought them all to this moment in life? Why had he let Natasha go? If he hadn't, this moment would never have to happen. He wouldn't have to make the most difficult choice he could possibly make in his life.

He had been so lost in thought, he hadn't noticed that Cheyenne had now approached him and was now standing only inches away. When he finally came back from his deep thought, he found that she looked back at him with pleading eyes. She definitely had her mother's ice blue eyes and within that instant he found himself breaking down. He couldn't possibly fathom the fact that the only woman he ever loved was no longer on this earth. As his body collapsed from the emotion, he felt Cheyenne's small arms reach out to catch him. Before he knew what he was doing, he had wrapped his own arms around the girl's small frame and had pulled her closer. This was the moment he feared the most. He knew that this simple gesture of kindness would prevent him from letting her go. It was too late for that now but he no longer cared. He had one thing left in this world that connected him to Natasha and it was her. Their daughter was the only thing that connected him to the woman who had changed him completely.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Teru glanced at the time one more time, before setting down her calculus book and making her way to the kitchen for another glass of water. It had been at least two hours since Kurosaki had left to look for Cheyenne and yet he still hadn't called back to let Riko or her know he had found her. She wondered what could possibly be taking him so long. If Cheyenne had intended to go talk to Master, wouldn't that have been the first place Kurosaki would have looked. Suddenly the worst case scenario crept into Teru's mind. What if Cheyenne hadn't made it to the restaurant? What if something terrible had happened and she needed help but nobody was there to help her? Teru had recalled hearing the girl say that she had never lived in such a big city like this. It was obvious that Cheyenne wasn't aware of how dangerous it was for her to be walking alone at night.

Quickly gulping down the glass of water, she set it in the sink and sighed. Kurosaki had told her to stay here, in case Cheyenne showed up but it was almost impossible to sit around waiting and thinking about all the worst things that could possibly be happening. Teru didn't know Cheyenne well enough to say that they were close but she hated the thought of something terrible happening to the girl. Throwing the closet door open, she yanked a jacket off the coat hanger and shoved it on. Teru didn't care what Kurosaki told her to do, the more time she wasted waiting for the inevitable the less they had to actually find Cheyenne. She was Master's daughter and that meant that she was practically, family. Whether anyone liked it, Teru was going to aid in the search. But as she began to shove her feet into a pair of sneakers, the door of the apartment burst open and both Riko and Kurosaki piled in.

"I can't believe you would let her go out by herself this late at night!" Riko nagged, shutting the door behind them, "If it had been Teru would you have let her leave like that?"

Kurosaki yanked his jacket off and threw it on the floor by the closet. If there was anything he wasn't known for, it would have been his cleanliness. Teru was pretty sure that was why he kept her around. If she wasn't there, she was sure he would probably die in his own filth, "Well, no...but she isn't my responsibility. I've already got one teenager to look after and I have a hard enough time keeping an eye on that one."

"Don't give me that!" Riko threatened as she fought to take her shoes off, "The least you could have done was offer her a ride!"

Teru knew that this wasn't the time for laughing but she couldn't help but grin. Watching these two was like watching a pair of bickering children. They were so involved with throwing the blame at each other, that they hadn't noticed Teru standing there. Instead, Riko stomped her way into the kitchen obviously fed up with Kurosaki's lack of responsibility and grabbed herself a glass from the cupboard. Kurosaki had followed after Riko, not ready to lose this argument.

"Where the hell were you anyways?" he asked, trying desperately to find a way to plant the blame on her somehow, "I didn't see you trying to make her feel better about her circumstances."

Before Riko could open her mouth to argue against that, her cell phone rang; leaving the argument open. Teru breathed a sigh of relief. She knew that they wouldn't have given up and at some point they would have both resorted to some type of violence. It wasn't that she didn't want to see Riko beat the snot out of Kurosaki, but this wasn't the time or place for it.

Riko fumbled with her cell phone before finally opening it. Teru was surprised by how calmly she answered the phone, considering the fact that she was fuming mad only mere seconds ago. She didn't blame her either. Sometimes Kurosaki meant well but this wasn't one of those moments and to be as immature as to stick her with the blame when he was obviously the one at fault, made this matter even worse.

"Master!" Riko exclaimed, almost automatically catching everyone's attention, "Thank goodness you called. I know it's extremely late by now and you're probably not going to be too thrilled with what I have to say next but we seemed to have a bit of a problem."

Teru walked towards the kitchen in hopes that she might be able to hear everything that was being said on the phone. She hoped to god that Cheyenne had been with him all along.

"What? Really?" Riko asked as her light lit up almost like a Christmas tree, "She's with you. That's a relief."

It was almost like having a heavy weight lifted off everyone's shoulders and Teru felt herself relax a bit. She was thankful that Cheyenne was safe with Master Masuda and that there was nothing to worry about. She was even more grateful that it was summer break and there was no school for another couple of days because after that last couple of days, she was sure she needed a few days rest. It seemed ever since she met Kurosaki and the others, there wasn't really much sleep happening. It wasn't like she regretted ever meeting them but things seemed a little simpler before all of this Jack Frost stuff. Now that she thought about it, things were even simpler when her brother was still alive.

She had been so deep in thought that she hadn't noticed that Riko had hung up the phone, "Good news! Cheyenne's with Master and she'll be spending the night there."

Relieved by the news, Teru sunk onto the couch and breathed out a sigh. The lack of sleep was starting to creep up on her and most likely everyone else too. With threats from all side, there seemed to be nothing new as to who was truly in charge for all of these attacks against them. She could tell that everyone was being run thin and with no lead, it made it even more difficult.

"Anyways, we should all get some sleep," Riko continued as she managed a ragged smile, "We all have an early day tomorrow. Master's calling a meeting to discuss more on the Jack Frost dilemma."

At some point, Kurosaki had sat down on the couch next to Teru but she couldn't recall even noticing one bit. He looked even more tired than all of them put together and she was sure he would go back to his apartment and lock himself away in that secret room of his. He always did this when he thought he was getting closer to an answer, but it was just in vain. Just when he thought he was close enough to the answer, something else happened and he was back to where he started. It worried her to see him this way, though she would never admit that to him. Even though deep down inside, she knew that Kurosaki was a grown man and was use to all of these hardships but he spent so much time worrying about so much. Her worrying about him didn't help much but it was all out of love. She couldn't say it out loud but she loved him.

He must have noticed that she had been looking at him for a long time because he had pulled himself to his feet and had circled around to the back of the couch. He placed a heavy hand on the top of her small head and began to scruff her hair up.

"Get some sleep," he demanded as he started for the door, "You're starting to stare."

Teru glared back at him, "Yeah, well from this angle it looks like your beginning to get a bald spot!"

Her desperate attempt to hide her embarrassment had failed. Kurosaki hadn't even reacted to her comment and instead had slipped out of the apartment without even a single glance in her direction. She wondered if he was feeling all right. In fact it was surprising that he hadn't managed to catch a virus just from the lack of sleep. Maybe he wasn't sick but he could have been bothered by something. There were so many reasons as to what it could have been but he wasn't the type of person to rely on her at all. For the past year and a half or so that she had known him, she had always relied on him when she was upset about something but not once had he ever felt the urge to discuss anything that could have been bothering him. Everything about him was so secretive even though his biggest secret was out in the open now. Her precious Daisy had ended up being Kurosaki all along and her knowing even just that had nearly pushed him away. It wasn't long after that, she had been informed of the program Jack Frost program that had been originally created by Kurosaki himself. Teru could understand why he was so secretive when it came to his personal life but she had wished that for once she could help him the same way he had helped her many times, especially after her brother had died.

"Are you all right Teru?" Riko's voice suddenly pulled Teru from her train of thought.

Glancing at Riko, who was now standing in the entrance of the kitchen; she faked a smile. It was crazy how things had turned out. After her brother had passed away, the only person she had in the world was Daisy. Now she was surrounded by people who cared about her and even though everything was crazy right now, she didn't think she could change it for the world.

"Yeah," she answered, getting up off of the couch, "I'm going to get some sleep. Don't let me sleep in."

Before Riko could question her anymore, she escaped to the safety of her bedroom. There wasn't much left to say anymore; at least not until they were finally safe from all the dangers of Jack Frost. When that day comes, she was sure Kurosaki would finally open up to her but until that day she was fine with being in the dark


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Staring back at her appearance in the mirror, Cheyenne sighed. The butterflies in her stomach fluttered around and she fought the urge to throw up. It was almost like her first day of high school all over again. If she factored out the complete differences between her old high school in Wyoming and her new one, then in a way it was like starting high school for the first time. Andy had been nice enough to register her in the same school as Teru, even though it had been such short notice. Her father figured it would be easier to keep an eye on the both of them if they were attending the same school. He had also made a note to explain to her about the Jack Frost program and why it was so important that she was cautious at all times. At the moment she was probably safe, considering the fact she had little ties with the Jack Frost Program but it was still not safe for her. He had informed her that because of her ties with Teru that she could become a target, so to keep on her toes at all times. It all seemed very tiresome and Cheyenne couldn't help but wonder as to how she was supposed to act at school. This was a whole new situation for her. In her entire life, she had never had to switch schools and the friends she made in preschool were still her friends. To go to a brand new school, knowing only one person was almost a scary situation within itself. To have to add sketchy people who could possibly be targeting her for something she knew next to nothing about; was bringing it to a whole new level. How was she supposed to be cautious on her first day of school, anyways? The first day was always the day that determined whether you were going to fit in or not and even at her old school she always been popular. This was going to be a challenge.

"Cheyenne, hurry up!" Teru called from down the hall, "We're going to be late for school!"

Sighing, Cheyenne picked up her book bag off the floor of the bathroom and slung it over her shoulder. Taking one last glance in the mirror, she adjusted a strand of her black wavy hair before rushing out of the bathroom. The last thing she needed was to be late on her first day. Teru was standing at the door, her shoes already on and her book bag also slung over her shoulder. Kurosaki stood impatiently, with his hand on the door handle.

"It's about time," he muttered loudly but Cheyenne chose to ignore him, "I was getting ready to leave your ass behind."

Rolling her eyes, Cheyenne quickly pulled her black combat style boots on. It wasn't like he was doing her a complete favor by driving both Teru and her to school. In fact she was sure it was easy enough to just take the bus and walk to school. But she humoured him a little, since he was being nice enough as to drive the both of them when he could have just said no. That was the strange thing about him. She had noticed that it wasn't that he was an evil ignorant prick but it had been all a show. Why he acted that way, she didn't know but all that mattered was that she knew deep down that he wasn't truly a jerk.

Standing up, she adjusted her school uniform. This was another thing she would have to adjust to. Her school back home didn't have school uniforms and it had been nice to have a bit of individuality. Not that it mattered what she was wearing, Cheyenne felt a little uncomfortable with the school girl look. It just wasn't something she would normally find herself wearing. School uniforms were for those who were stuffy and for the perverted old men.

Kurosaki had yanked the door open impatiently and Cheyenne found herself trailing behind him with Teru walking next to her.

"Are you still nervous?" Teru asked as they entered the elevator.

Pressing the main floor button, Cheyenne leaned back against the elevator wall. Was she nervous? She was petrified of what her first day was going to be like! She knew she could have a wild imagination but what if she became the outcast at school? This was probably just her over-thinking the matter but it was a possibility. What if instead of making a good impression on everyone, she completely embarrassed herself?

"Not really," she lied, trying to hide the waver in her voice.

"That's a lie," Kurosaki piped in and Cheyenne couldn't help but throw a dirty glance towards him.

He was standing there with his hands in his jean pockets, watching the numbers change above the doors. He didn't have to say that out loud, "So next to being an undercover janitor/computer hacker, you can read people?"

"Nope," he answered not even looking at either her or Teru as he spoke, "You're not a very good liar."

Rolling her eyes, Cheyenne shoved her hands into her pockets of her uniform's jacket. Kurosaki had his good sides but she wasn't sure if his bad sides out-weighed his good sides because there were times she could easily say she wasn't fond of him. She knew that wasn't true but his tough guy persona seemed to outshine his good qualities at times. The elevator finally stopped and the doors opened.

"Seriously, why do you act like that?" she found herself casually asking, as they all exited the elevator and began to walk towards his vehicle.

"Act like what?" Kurosaki asked a little taken back by the question. Just as she had guessed, no one had ever asked him.

"I dunno," Cheyenne answered, kicking at a pebble as they walked, "Like a jerk, I guess."

As they approached his vehicle he opened the driver's side door, apparently unfazed by their conversation. Teru had given her the "drop it" look as she opened the passenger front seat door.

"Do you want a ride to school, or would you rather walk?" Kurosaki asked in a casual but slightly threatening tone.

That wasn't a tricky question. With the given time they had to get to school before the bell rang, she would have preferred a ride. But that was the only reason! If she had more time, she would have just walked.

"I'd like a ride," she mumbled, knowing that she had lost the conversation due to the fact that he had a faster means of transportation.

Grinning in a menacing way, he hopped into the driver's seat, "Good! So shut up and get in!"

Scowling, Cheyenne yanked her door open before tossing her book bag in and hopping onto the seat. At this moment, she couldn't see what it was that Teru saw in him. He was an ignorant jerk and couldn't even pass off as a gentleman! Sure he was not a bad looking guy and he had taken the time to talk to her even if he didn't have to, when her father was being difficult. But right now he was being a jerk and it clouded all his good qualities. In fact Teru didn't know that Cheyenne knew about her love for Kurosaki. It was more of a slip of the tongue on Riko's behalf but she didn't dare let on that she knew. Especially since she had promised Riko that she wouldn't say anything, unless Teru brought it up. To be truthful, she had no right to know anyways. Cheyenne hadn't known Teru or Kurosaki for more than a week and she would have felt like she was meddling if she mentioned something. It wasn't her place to say anything.

The drive to school seemed to be long, even though it hadn't been. The entire way, Cheyenne couldn't help but feel her heart throbbing in her throat and her palms becoming sweaty. What if she was right? What if fitting in was going to be more difficult than she could possibly imagine? It wasn't like she was going to be completely friendless, because she still had Teru. But what if Teru's friends didn't like her. No matter how hard she had fought off those thoughts, they kept coming back to haunt her. She didn't think Teru's friends would be so cold as to not like her for no, apparent reason. Teru wasn't the kind of person to befriend that type of people.

When they had pulled up to the school, Cheyenne was surprised to find that it didn't look too much different from the schools back in America. It wasn't like she had expected something completely extravagant but she had expected it to look much different from her old school. Instead, the only difference was the gigantic clock mounted above the entrance of the school.

Hopping out of the vehicle, Cheyenne flung her book bag over her shoulder. Teru had already opened her door and was already collecting her belongings off of the floor of Kurosaki's vehicle. Cheyenne didn't want to seem clingy but her nerves were preventing her from walking into her new school all by herself. She remembered her first day of high school and she could recall entering the school with a group of friends. The worst case scenarios that played through her mind that day were playing through her mind now and she gripped the strap of her book bag. It didn't quite comfort her but it was a start.

"So we'll meet you here after school," Teru called after Kurosaki as he casually began to walk away. His hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans. "If plans change, I'll message you."

He answered by slightly waving back at her. There wasn't so much as a glance back at her as he strolled out of sight and Cheyenne could tell that something was nipping at the back of Teru's mind. She wondered what it could be that was bothering both of them. Teru was quick to turn to face Cheyenne. The expression that she had once worn was now replaced with a smile and Cheyenne couldn't help but wonder what it was that she was thinking.

"We still have some time before class starts," she informed motioning Cheyenne to follow as she started for the entrance to the school, "I'll introduce you to my friends."

Before following her, Cheyenne glanced up at the school. Her stomach felt as if it was filled with butterflies and they were trying to escape. She could feel her knees growing weak and she fought to keep herself from falling. Last thing she needed was to fall on her face just as she was entering the school. Gulping down the lump that had gathered in her throat, she raced to catch up with Teru. Things couldn't be too bad. What was the worst that could happen? She had to remind herself that all the negative thoughts that kept popping up were all just a part of her large imagination. Nothing terrible was going to happen. It all depended on her ability to shake the negativity.

The smoke from his cigarette drifted through the air as he sat in the back seat of the boss' Lexus. Katsuo leaned back in his seat, soaking in the silence. It was rare that he received phone calls from Mr. Otaka this early in the morning. It had been rarer that he had requested to meet up with him in broad daylight. Most of their dealings were done late at night, where most people didn't see. The strangest part about this meeting was the fact that the man had requested to meet him outside a high school all the way across town. It wasn't normally done this way but Mr. Otaka was a man that he didn't dare reckon with. Taking a puff from his cigarette, Katsuo could feel the burning sensation enter his lungs.

"Those things are going to kill you," Mr. Otaka replied, as he snapped his cell phone closed.

Katsuo glanced at the man through his shades and slowly exhaled, letting the smoke fill the inside of his car. He didn't mind the man, in fact he paid well but if there was one thing he hated, it had to be people who told him that his smoking habits were bad for him. If he had cared about his health, he probably would have stopped a long time ago and picked up a few more positive life-altering habits.

"Let's get to the point here," he answered, leaving little to discuss on the cigarette matter, "You asked me to meet you here so why the hell are we sitting outside some fucking high school."

"Tsk. Tsk. The language isn't needed!" the man exclaimed as if surprised by Katsuo's swearing, "I have a job for you."

The window closest to Katsuo opened and he glanced at Mr. Otaka, questioningly. He worked under the man as what most considered as a contracted man of many skills. There weren't a lot of people in Japan alone that would dare to stand in Mr. Otaka's way but there were a few people who had been stupid enough to go against him. That was where Katsuo stepped in. He wasn't technically a bodyguard but if the man told him to be, he'd do it. If Katsuo had been told to kill someone on this man's behalf he would do it. He belonged to this man and anything he was told to do, he had to because it meant his own life if he didn't. Lowering his shades to get a better look, he made sure not to be too conspicuous as he tried to see what Mr. Otaka had wanted him to see. His open window faced the entrance of the high school and he took note of his surroundings, trying to figure out on his own as to what his next job was.

"What am I looking at?" he asked finally giving up.

Mr. Otaka leaned in to take a glance out the window. His lips curled into a smile, "See the girl getting out of the front passenger door over there? She has something that I want and that's where you come in. I need you to get close enough to her as you possibly can."

Katsuo found himself watching a young girl hop out of the vehicle, parked in the school parking lot. She had to be about seventeen years old with shoulder length brown hair. She had a naturally pretty face but she hadn't quite filled out. He wondered what it was that this girl could possibly have that a very successful businessman wanted so much. Not that it was any of his business but she definitely didn't look like any of the other jobs that he had been assigned to. Just as he was about to ask the reasoning behind this, a second passenger door opened and a girl hopped out. Squinting to get a better look, he couldn't help but fight back a grin. Just his luck, he had thought to himself. The girl who had hopped out had coincidentally been the girl he had saved a couple nights back.

Taking a puff from his cigarette, he let the smoke linger in his lungs a little longer than usual, "What exactly do you expect me to do?"

"You seem very good at handling yourself when it comes to the ladies," Mr. Otaka answered, casually leaning back in his seat, "I've seen the way you handle my daughter. I'm sure you can figure something out."

Katsuo glanced back at the two girls but instead of focusing in on the girl who he had been assigned to, he couldn't help but watch the other one. He watched as she flipped her long, wavy black hair as she reached into the vehicle and pulled out her book bag. She was about the same height as the other girl but she had definitely filled out a little more than the other one. Even though she wore a school uniform that wasn't very good at showing much of anything, he could tell there were a bit more curves underneath all of that. Before he could watch her any further, the window closed itself and Katsuo found himself being brought back to reality.

"Be very cautious though," Mr. Otaka warned, "That girl is highly guarded."

Katsuo leaned back in his seat and snuffed his cigarette out in the ashtray, "I'll take care of it."

Before another word could be spoken, he opened the door and jumped out. The faster he started his job, the quicker he could get in and get out. He didn't quite understand what was so important about this girl and he wasn't going to pry into the matter. The boss didn't like it when his hired help asked questions. It just meant there was more traces that lead back to him, which meant the possibility of Katsuo showing up dead could be high. Questions were as dangerous as the answers that went with them. Anyways, it didn't matter. He was already constructing a plan in his mind at this moment.

Shutting the door behind him, he watched as the brand new Lexus drove off. Mr. Otaka had been considerably good to him. The man had almost treated him like a son in some ways but deep down inside, Katsuo found himself despising him. He was as evil as he was kind and one slip up could very well be Katsuo's life! Sighing, he took one last glance towards the two girls as they started for the entrance of the school. Had it been coincidence that the girl he had saved the other night was connected to his next job? He had set this up perfectly without even knowing it. If the other girl was highly guarded, the best way to get to her was through her friend. It seemed simple enough.


End file.
